PublicTechnology learns that current data chief is to move on after less than a year in post, with GDS set to open hiring for an equivalent role in due course

The chief data officer for the UK government, Craig Suckling, is set to depart the civil service, PublicTechnology understands.

Suckling took on the government CDO role less than a year ago and is now set to leave for a position outside of the civil service. The departure is a personal career move and is not linked to the recent revamp and expansion of the Government Digital Service, where the position is based.

While recruitment for a replacement has not yet been commenced, it is understood that GDS is likely to hire another CDO or equivalent post in due course.

The outgoing data chief arrived in government from Amazon Web Services, where he served as global head of data and AI strategy in the tech vendor’s worldwide specialist organisation”, according to his online biography on GOV.UK.

The government website adds that the “government chief data officer is responsible for: developing the national data strategy; collaborating with the National Data Library programme; guiding data architecture; [and] working across GDS and government to enhance data analysis for evidence-based policymaking”.

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Suckling’s departure comes as another high-profile figure – former Central Digital and Data Office executive director and Ministry of Justice digital chief Gina Gill – also heads for the exit door.

In a LinkedIn post last month, Gill said that “after seven and a half incredibly rewarding years in the civil service, I’ve made the decision to move on to a new challenge”.

“When I first joined, it was meant to be ‘a couple of years’ to see what it was like,” she added. “Little did I know how much I’d enjoy the work, the people, and the opportunity to make an impact. During my time I’ve had the privilege of working on such a wide range of meaningful projects – from digital services that have changed the lives of prisoners and victims of crime, to stabilising failing technology and building in-house technical capability, to working with HMT to rethink how we fund digital work.”

Alongside the two senior leavers, other top digital government executives have taken on new duties, with GDS interim chief executive Christine Bellamy moved into a newly created role of government chief product officer.

Heading up the new-look GDS in the long term will be a newly recruited government chief digital officer – who will replace Joanna Davinson, a former Home Office and Central Digital and Office leader who late last year came out of retirement to take on the role temporarily. In doing so, she replaced former incumbent Mike Potter, who vacated the same role in September to focus on his health.